Automotive truck



Feb. 2, 1932. c. I .KISSINGER AUTOMOTIVE TRUCK Elkton/w11 Feb. 2, 1932. C K|55|NGER' 1,843,685

AUTOMOTIVE TRUCK Filed Jan. 17, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 55% Liga.;

Patented Feb. 2, 1932 UN'rED STATES CHARLES L. KISSINGER, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA AUTOMOTIVE TRUCK f yApplication led January 17, 1930. Serial' No. 421,552.

This invention relates to automotive trucks, and has particular reference to an improved end gate structure and to an improved operating means therefor. -I

Anobject ofthe invention is to provide an end gate for trucks which may be swung downwardly to an open position about hinge means located at the bottom of the gate, or

Y upwardly to open position about hinge means ylocated at the top of the gate, or which may be opened simply by sliding same upward y l the truck frame showing in further detail the with respect to the truck body. p

Whilev the present end gate is susceptible of use in connection with truck bodies of va- 7 rious diierent types, it is especially adapted for use with truck bodies ofthe type whichy are adapted to be elevated at their forward end to eect discharge of their contents through the rear thereof, and in this connection it is another object of the invention to provide novel means whereby elevation of the truck body automatically opens the end gate.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fullydescribed, illustrate-d in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different viewsz'- Figure 1 is an end elevation of a truck body showing the present end gate and itslopera-y .n

.ting meansv applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a top plan view on .i scale of one corner'of vthe truck body.

v y Figure 8v is anend elevationv of the parts M40 shown in-Fig. 2.; i

Figure r4is aside elevationof the parts shown in'Fig. 3 of the drawings.- Y

Figure 5 is a vperspective view of a corner portion of thetruck body showing the end gate closed. y y Y vFigure v6 isa similar viewV showing the front end of the truck body elevated and the end gate swung open abouthinges located lat the top thereof.' y

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figs. 5 and 6 an enlarged* showing the end gate swung open about hinges located at the bottom thereof.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figs. 5 to 7 showing the front end of the truck body elevated and the end gate opened by upward sliding movement relative to the truck body.

Figure 9is a view similar to Fig. 8 looking from another direction to more clearly disclose the automatic operating means for the end gate; and

Figure 10 is a transverse section through end gate operating means. d

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates, generally, a truck frame and B a truck body mounted thereon, the frame A -being inclusive of longitudinal'main sills ma,

on which are arranged transverse members carrying at their outer ends longitudinal sup-V plemental sills c, c, as is usual.

The present end gate structure is adapted for use with a truck body B mounted either rigidly on its supporting frame A or hinged at its rear end to its supporting frame as indicated at CZ in Fig. 9 of the drawings, whereby its forward endis adapted to be elevated to eect discharge ofthe contents of the body through the rear end thereof.

In accordance with the present improve-l ments a vertical angle iron member 10 (Fig. 2) is secured rigidly to each side of the body B at the rear'end thereof so that one .flange 11 of each of said membersextends ylaterallyV outward from said body flush or `plate 14 having an inwardly'di'rected 'rear- .wardly oifset portion 15 which cooperates withits related plate 14 to provide a vertical guide channel 16. The end gate, designated generally as 17, has its marginal end portions disposed in these guide channels for vertical sliding movement as shown, and to facilitate such movement the offset portions 15 of the plates 14 preferably are prof vided with anti-friction ,rollers 18 for col* operation with the outer face of the end gate at the ends thereof.

To hold the lower ends of the plates 13-14: against outward swinging movement, thereby to prevent outward swinging movement of the gate on the hinges 12, the body 10 carries suitable .latch members 19 for cooperation with .said'plates',said latch members in the present instance extending through slots in the flanges 11 and the plates 13-14 and including hook portions at'their free-endsforv holding engagement with the outer faces of the plates 111, the arrangement as shown being such that the latch members are gravity actuated to latching position and ai'e adapted to be released simplyby raising ,their'free ends.

Carried byvjeach Aplate 14 near its upper endris-a bracket 2O -having` a bifurcated upwardly` opening `formation 21 to .receivev a lateral projection or arm 22carried by the end gate' whereby :the 4latter is xheld .against 'dropping, vdownwardly through its guide Vchannels 16..

Carried iat thebottom of thebody B are hinge brackets 23 with which hingebraclrets 24. .carried -by the end gate, at the bottom thereof are adapted for. cooperation* By alining these brackets. andv engaging hinge pintles therethrougha bottom hinge connection may be provided for the end gates@ that it .may be opened by `downward swinging movement, as .illustrated in Fig..7, provided,v

of' course, the .pintlesof the hinges-12 are removed,` it .being understood, of course, that when it is desired that the end gate shall be opened by .upward swinging or by. sliding movement, only thehinges 12 are employed, the :hinge ypintlesunder. such conditions being removed fromthe .hinge brackets 22B-24.

As will be apparent from the foregoing,

the end. gate is capable Vof being opened either by upward sliding. movement vor by swinging movement either downwardly or upwardlyV irrespective of whether the body B .is mounted stationarily on itsframe A. or for tilting..

movement relative thereto. However, in: instances wliere the truck bodyB is hinged Vto the truck frame so that the forward end yof the body maybe elevated, it is desirable to provide means to effectautoinatic opening of the end gate when .the forward end vof the.

truck body is elevated. To this end the top of each anglefiron member 10 is provided with a sheave 25and over each sheave. is extended a cable or other flexible element 26. fastened at one endto -a bottom portion oftheendl gate. The otherend portion of each .cable is carried downwardly and overa sheave 27 suitably mounted en the truck body and' then is carried forwardly and over another sheave 28 also carried bythe truck body, being y carried, 'finally' fromA the sheave V28 through suitable guide means 29. onthe trucki.

frame A. and V thence beneath the latter and Vvconnected with the other-cable by a turnbuckle 30. Thus, as the forward end of the truck body is elevated, a pull is caused to be exerted through the cables 26 to slide the end gate upward and thus automatically open the rear end of the truck body for the discharge of its contents.

`When the forward end of the truck body is lowered the end 1gate obviouslyjis permitted to return by gravity to a closed position.

-By shifting thev guide means 29 forwardly or rearwardly greater or less opening moveinentof'the end gate for a given amount of angular movement. of the truck body may be provided for, whileby means of the turnbuclrle() -anyslack in the .cableconnections -said truck body mounted thereon `for vertical sliding movement ,to` an` openV positioina ilexiblecable connected atitsopposite ends lwith opposite end portionsof said, end .gateand intermediatelyf with the .truckfframer and sheaves. over. which said cable extends 'where-V by tilting movement of the truck bodyis .ef-

` fective to` tension .said cable to eiect sliding inovementof the end .gateto an open .position, said'cable .being slidably connected withA the truck frame whereby the sameis auto- .maticallyadjusted .when tensiened to .exert equal amounts of fonce on `the respective end portions of the end gate.

2. ln combination, a truck franie,a .truckv body ,mounted-on said framefor tilting movement with respect thereto, `an end gate for said truck body mounted thereonfor vertical sliding. movement to anopen posi-tion,a flexiblecableconnected at its opposite endswith opposite end portions vof 'said `end gate and "interinediately `with l the Vtruck j frame, and

sheaves over whichsaid cable extends whereby tilting movement ofthe` truck body is elfective to tension said cable to edect sliding 1'movement of the'endgate to an Yopen position, said cable being slidabl'y connectedwith the .truck frame ywhereby the saine is automatically adjusted when'tensioned to'eXer-t equal amounts of force on the respectiveend portions of the end gate and slack take-up means included withiny the' length of saideablei 3. ln4 combination, a .tiltable-truck body open at its rear end, a pairofvertical channel members disposed.respectively.atopposite sides of the rear open end of said body, an end gate slidably mounted in said channel members, cooperating hinge elements carried by top portions of the truck body and said channel members respectively for the reception of hinge pintles to adapt the end gate for upward and outward swinging movement to an open position relative to the truck body, cooperating hinge elements carried by bottom portions of the truck body and the end gate respectively for the reception of hinge pintless to adapt the end gate for downward and outward swinging movement to an open position relative to the truck body, and means whereby tilting movement of the truck body effects upward sliding movement of the end gate to an open position.

4. In combination, a truck frame, a truck body open at its rear end and mounted onsaid frame for tilting movement with respect thereto, plates extending laterally outward from the sides of the truck body adjacent ,to

the open rear end thereof, a pair of vertically disposed channel structures one associated with each plate, an end gate slidably mounted in said channel structures, cooperating hinge elements carried by top portions of said plates and said channel structures, respectively, for the reception of pintles to hingedly connect the channel structures and the end gate carried thereby with the truck body for upward and outward swinging movement, cooperating hinge elements carried by bottom portions of the end gate and the truck body, respectively, for the reception of hinge pintles to hingedly connect the end gate to the truck body for downward and outward swinging movement, sheaves carried by top portions of the truck body, and a cable eX- tending over said sheaves and connected at its ends with said end gate and slidably connected intermediate its ends with the truck frame, whereby tilting movement of the truck body is effective to tension said cable to cause the same to eect upward sliding movement of the end gate to an open position.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature. if

CHARLES L. KISSINGER. 

